"She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Harry knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had chosen to wear a necklace of Butterbeer caps, or that she was reading a magazine upside down."

Contents

Biography

Early life

Luna was the only child of Xenophilius and Mrs. Lovegood. Luna's mother was accidentally killed experimenting with a spell that she created when Luna was nine years old. Thus, Luna was subsequently raised by her father. As she witnessed her mother's death, she was able to see Thestrals from that point onwards.

Luna and harry with a Thestral,they can see them because they have both experienced pain.

Near the end of the year, Harry had a vision that his godfather, Sirius Black was being tortured by Lord Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. Luna and Ginny stood guard while Harry and Hermione snuck into Professor Umbridge's office, to use the fireplace to try to contact Sirius, while Ron attempted to distract Umbridge. However, they were caught, along with Neville Longbottom, by Umbridge and members of the Inquisitorial Squad. They were restrained and gagged, but Luna hardly seemed bothered by this as she was staring, dreamily, through the window as if bored. Harry and Hermione drew Umbridge away into the Forbidden Forest, and Luna, Ginny, Ron, and Neville managed to escape from the Inquisitorial Squad using a variety of hexes and jinxes.

When they all met up again in the forest, Harry planned to go to the Ministry of Magic. Luna reminded Harry about the Thestrals and suggested using them to get to the Ministry. She then mounted her Thestral side-saddle, "as though she did this every day." She also helped Ron, Hermione and Ginny mount their Thestrals, as the animals were invisible to them. The six D.A. members flew to the Ministry and entered the Department of Mysteries, where Luna heard voices coming from behind a Veil, just as Harry did. The group was soon ambushed by twelve Death Eaters.

Alastor Moody helping Luna in the battle

Luna participated in the battle that ensued. She protected Ron, who had been hit with a spell that made him highly confused. Luna also attacked a Death Eater who had seized Ginny's ankle with the Reductor Curse, which destroyed a model of the planet Pluto. The model blew up in the Death Eater's face; however, the impact broke Ginny's ankle. Luna guided both the injured Ginny and the Confunded Ron until they met up with Harry and Neville. Luna was one of the last D.A. members to fall, eventually being stunned by a Death Eater and thrown across the room. She regained focus just before the end of the battle and survived relatively unscathed.

At the end of the school year, Luna spoke to Harry, who was mourning the murder of his godfather and had found no comfort in talking to ghosts. Luna told him about her mother's death and her belief that she would see her again someday, which was a comforting thought to Harry.

Luna was holding another edition of the Quibbler, which she told Harry was going strong because of his interview. She then put on a brightly coloured pair of free "Spectrespecs" that were from inside the Quibbler. She was very disappointed to find out that the D.A. would not continue that year.

When Romilda Vane asked Harry if he wanted to join her and her friends in another compartment, while treating Luna and Neville with disdain, Harry coldly rebuffed her, stating that they were his friends. Luna correctly observed that people expected Harry to associate with "cooler" people; he replied that she and Neville were cool, and among his closest and most trustworthy friends.

Luna with Harry go to the Horace Slughorn's Christmas party.

Towards Christmas, Luna comforted Hermione after Ron mocked her in Transfiguration and Hermione ran into the girl's bathroom in tears. Luna had found Hermione crying and Harry had been looking for Hermione to return the books she left in Transfiguration class. After Hermione left, Harry asked Luna if she would like to go to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party with him, just as friends, and Luna accepted his invitation.Luna wore a set of spangled silver robes that was attracting a certain amount of giggling from the onlookers, but she otherwise looked quite nice. While there, she conversed with multiple people, and took an interest in Sanguini, a vampire guest. She also made Harry laugh so hard that mead came out of his nose when she discussed the Rotfang Conspiracy after Professor Snape sneered at Harry's ambition to become an Auror. She continued the discussion of the Rotfang Conspiracy with Professor Trelawney, who seemed completely interested.

Harry: "How would you like to come to Slughorn's party with me tonight?"

Luna: "Slughorn's party? With you?"

Harry: "Yeah. We're supposed to bring guests, so I thought you might like; I mean, just as friends, you know. But if you don't want to;"

Luna: "Oh no, I'd love to go with you as friends! Nobody's ever asked me to a party before, as a friend! Is that why you dyed your eyebrow, for the party? Should I dye mine too?"

Also that year, Luna would temporarily replace Zacharias Smith as Quidditch commentator for the school. Many found Luna's commentary terrible and annoying, as Luna forgot players' names and went off on tangents such as speculating that Smith was suffering from "Loser's Lurgy," or saying how a cloud was interestingly shaped. She never actually reported the score, and Professor McGonagall had to report it. However, after Ron heard this commentary, which he found highly amusing, he said "You know, [Luna]'s grown on me," when previously he found her very strange.

Luna Lovegood raised her wand after the death of Albus Dumbledore.

Luna once gave Harry a note from Albus Dumbledore telling him to come to his office for a private lesson.
At the end of the school year, the castle came under attack by Death Eaters, and Luna was one of the few D.A. members to participate in the ensuing Battle of the Astronomy Tower, along with Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Harry asked her and Hermione to watch Snape's office, which they did, but Snape told them that Death Eaters were in the castle and that they had to look after Professor Flitwick, whom he claimed had collapsed. After taking Felix Felicis from Harry, the D.A. members were almost untouchable, and all survived the battle unscathed except Neville, who was injured but soon recovered. Luna helped him into his seat when they attended Albus Dumbledore's funeral at the end of the school year. [4]

Sixth year

Harry: "The Lovegoods are quite unusual. He could have easily picked it up somewhere and think it's a cross section of the head of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack or something; I don't know what they are, but apparently he and his daughter go on holiday looking for them; That's her."

It was believed that Luna was held captive at Azkaban, though she was actually imprisoned in the basement of Malfoy Manor, along with the famed wandmaker Garrick Ollivander, to whom she proved a great comfort. Her father was so desperate to get her back that he tried to turn Harry, Hermione and Ron over to the Ministry in exchange for her freedom; the trio escaped, but Hermione ensured that the Death Eaters Xenophilius called glimpsed Harry as they left, so that neither he nor Luna would be punished. The Lovegoods' home was largely destroyed when an erumpent horn, which Xenophilius had believed to be a Crumple-Horned Snorkack's, blew up inside.

Up until the Battle of Hogwarts, Luna stayed at the cottage for the remainder of the war, and when Dobby was buried, she closed the house-elf's eyes and provided the eulogy, thanking him for rescuing her. During her stay, she practised using a new wand that Ollivander had made for her. She also seemed to have started a friendship with Dean. It is unknown what Luna did after Harry, Ron and Hermione left Shell Cottage in order to break intoGringotts Wizarding Bank, but she returned to Hogwarts in May when Neville signalled her as to the trio's return. All of Dumbledore's Army was reassembled and prepared to fight.[5]

Battle of Hogwarts

When the trio asked the RavenclawD.A. members if they were familiar with an item that had once belonged to their house founder, Luna mentioned the lost diadem. She took Harry to the Ravenclaw common room, answering the riddle, "What came first, the Phoenix or the flame?", with "A circle has no beginning.", in order to gain entrance, in order to show him a replica of the diadem. There, she stunnedAlecto Carrow, who was waiting for them per Lord Voldemort's orders. When given the choice, she joined the battle rather than evacuating with the younger students.

At one point, she, Ernie Macmillan and Seamus Finnigan helped Harry, Ron, and Hermione drive off a group of Dementors that attacked them by casting their Patronuses. Luna encouraged Harry to think of something happy, enabling him to summon his Patronus as well. Later, near the end of the battle, she fought against Bellatrix Lestrange alongside Hermione and Ginny. When Bellatrix nearly hit Ginny with a Killing Curse, Molly Weasley stepped in and killed her.

Luna witnessed Harry Potter's final defeat of Lord Voldemort and was among the first to congratulate him. A little while later, she created a diversion so that Harry could slip away from the victory celebrations with Ron and Hermione, and have a little break.[5]

Later life

After leaving school, Luna became a famous wizarding naturalist, travelling the world in search of strange creatures.[6][7] She discovered and classified many species that had never been encountered before, but was never able to find the Crumple-Horned Snorkack; thus, she had to come to terms with the fact that there are some things that simply do not exist.[6][7]

Harry and Ginny gave their daughter Lily, born in 2008 or 2009, the middle name Luna, considering Luna to be a "dear friend."[8][9]

Physical appearance

Luna at age fourteen.

In 1997, sixteen-year-old Luna had waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair, protuberant grey eyes, which often seemed to be dreamily distracted, and faint eyebrows. She had an aura of "distinct dottiness" about her and was known to put her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping.

Luna in her Slug Club Christmas Party outfit.

Luna had a unique fashion sense that other people usually found bizarre. She often wore odd pieces of jewellery such as a Butterbeer cork necklace and Dirigible plum earrings, and in 1996, a pair of Spectrespecs. Luna often didn't wear shoes because students in her house would take her shoes and hide them. At Hogwarts Quidditch matches, Luna supported Gryffindor against every House except Ravenclaw; to show her support for Gryffindor, she would wear a hat in the shape of a lion head that roars, and to show support for Ravenclaw she would wear an eagle hat with flapping wings.[3] At Professor Slughorn's Christmas party in 1996, she wore spangled silver robes[4]. At Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding, she wore bright yellow robes because she was taught it brought luck to a wedding to wear sun colours and had a sunflower in her hair, as well.[5] She was described as "pretty" on some occasions, despite her odd clothes.

Personality and traits

Luna was an extremely quirky girl with a serene disposition and many eccentric beliefs and qualities. She was a complete nonconformist; she lacked self-consciousness and wasn't afraid to show who she truly was. Luna was also highly intelligent and unusually perceptive, having been sorted into Ravenclaw,[3] "where those of wit and learning will always find their kind." Although many thought Luna was bizarre, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Dean Thomas and Ollivander eventually became very fond of her.[4]

Her demeanour and voice were often distant and dreamy, and she would drift away from a conversation she did not find interesting. She had an uncanny way of making others uncomfortable by being bluntly honest — a "knack for embarrassing honesty" according to Harry. She was completely unflappable and rarely seemed anxious or under stress, even under difficult circumstances such as being a prisoner of Malfoy Manor. Luna was very good at comforting others, such as when she comforted Harry Potter after his godfather's death,[3] and Mr. Ollivander while they were imprisoned together.[5]

Luna comforts Harry after Sirius's death.

Luna was often the subject of ridicule and had difficulty making friends. Other students gave her the nickname of "Loony Lovegood" and even stole and hid her things. She was unfazed by this, though, and instead chose to be nonjudgmental and accepting of the others around her.[3] She once said that she does not like dancing much, though she did dance some at the wedding of Bill and Fleur. Luna seems to have enjoyed artistic pursuits in her free time; her house was filled with various things that she painted.[5]

"She's tough, Luna, much tougher than you'd think. She's probably teaching all the inmates about Wrackspurts and Nargles."

Luna was very loyal to the few friends she had, supporting Harry even when he was outlawed by the Ministry of Magic. She also displayed admirable bravery during both the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of Hogwarts.

Luna's beliefs

"The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're working from within to bring down the Ministry of Magic using a combination of Dark magic and gum disease."

Luna believed in many things that few others do. Given her inclination towards superstition, she would've probably liked Divination. However, as she grew older, she came to accept that some things simply do not exist.[6][7]

Luna reading The Quibbler (upside down).

She seems to believe everything she reads in The Quibbler, mainly because her father writes it.

Relationships

Parents

"They took my Luna because of what I've been writing. They took my Luna and I don't know where she is, what they've done to her. But they might give her back to me if I-If I help; I must save Luna. I cannot lose Luna. You must not leave."

With the death of her mother when she was nine years old, Luna was raised solely by her father. Because of this, and because Luna was an only child, the two were very close. Xenophilius raised his daughter to share many of his unusual beliefs, and the two enjoyed going on holidays to look for creatures such as Crumple-Horned Snorkacks in Sweden.[3] Luna believed anything her father wrote in The Quibbler magazine, and came to his defence when Hermione Granger claimed the magazine was "rubbish."

When Harry Potter first met Luna in 1995, he found her rather odd, but was grateful that she was one of the few people to believe his story that Lord Voldemort had returned, and sympathised with the loss of her mother and her status as an outcast. After the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, they discussed the death of Sirius Black and the possibility of an afterlife. Harry "found that the terrible weight in his stomach seemed to have lessened slightly".[3]

At the beginning of the next school year, he reacted angrily when Romilda Vane implied that Luna and Neville Longbottom were not worth spending time with; a contrast to the previous year, when he felt slightly embarrassed that his crush Cho Chang saw him in Luna's company. In 1996, Harry asked Luna to attend Professor Slughorn's Christmas party with him as friends after reflecting on how "he had never met anyone quite like her".[4] Harry was one of the portraits of her friends that Luna painted and hung on her bedroom ceiling.

When Harry took Polyjuice Potion to look like Barny at the Wedding of William Weasley and Fleur Delacour, she recognised him from the look on his face. Shortly before going to sacrifice himself during the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry noted that Luna was among his closest friends, whom he had hoped to see one last time before his death. After Voldemort's defeat at Harry's hands, Luna sensed that Harry wanted to get away from the victory celebrations, and created a distraction so that he could slip away with Ron and Hermione.[5] Later in life, Harry and Luna would remain close friends; he and Ginny gave their daughter the middle name "Luna" in honour of her.

Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger

"Luna has told me all about you, young lady. You are, I gather, not unintelligent, but painfully limited, narrow, close-minded."

Luna and Hermione Granger did not have an ideal first meeting, as Hermione called The Quibbler "rubbish" without knowing that Luna's father was the editor. She was initially frustrated with Luna's belief in all manner of things without logical grounds or proof. However, she invited Luna to Dumbledore's Army and the two became friends. Hermione's opinion of Luna particularly seemed to improve after Luna proved her loyalty and bravery by participating in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, as she simply accepted that she and Luna had very different world views.[3]

The following school year, Luna comforted Hermione over her fight with Ron Weasley when she ended up crying in the bathroom at one point[4]. At Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding, Hermione tried to kick Ron for teasing Luna, and later defended her again from the insults of the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black. Hermione was among the portraits Luna painted on her bedroom ceiling, circled by the words "friends". When Luna's father attempted to turn Harry, Ron and Hermione over to Death Eaters in exchange for his daughter's safety in 1998, Hermione engineered their escape so that the Death Eaters saw Harry briefly, thus ensuring that both Luna and her father were not harmed.[5]

Luna and Hermione also fought at the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of Hogwarts, where she, Seamus Finnigan and Ernie Macmillan saved Hermione, Harry and Ron from Dementors. During the final stage of the battle, Luna, Hermione, and Ginny Weasley fought together against Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort's most powerful Death Eater. Hermione and Luna both survived the war, and it can be presumed that the pair remained very good friends during adulthood as well. Luna may be one of the best female friends of Hermione (along with Ginny), as she was only seen with these girls during her school-time at Hogwarts

Ron Weasley

Ron Weasley

"He says very funny things sometimes, doesn't he? But he can be a bit unkind. I noticed that last year."

At the beginning of their acquaintance, Ron Weasley thought Luna was weird and was not particularly interested in knowing her, even occasionally referring to her as "Loony". Luna, on the other hand, seemed to find Ron very funny but rather insensitive in his relationships at times.

"You know, she's grown on me, Luna. I know she's insane, but it's in a good way."

Ron eventually grew fonder of Luna, marking her as his good friend, after getting to know her better through Dumbledore's Army and her being one of the only D.A. members to come to the trio's assistance when they tried to save Sirius Black, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.[3] He was particularly amused by her Quidditch commentary in 1996[4] and thought highly of her bravery. When she attended his brother Bill's wedding, Ron was further amused by her behaviour and remarked that she gave "good value". However, Ron was still prone to tease Luna and scoff at her unusual beliefs at times.[5] Ron and Luna also fought at the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of Hogwarts, where she, Seamus Finnigan and Ernie Macmillan saved Ron, Harry and Hermione from Dementors. Ron and Luna both survived the war, and the good friends remained in contact in adulthood.

Ginny Weasley

Luna and Ginny Weasley were in the same year at Hogwarts, though in different houses; Ginny was in Gryffindor whereas Luna was in Ravenclaw. Ginny seemed to find Luna rather peculiar, as she first referred to Luna as "Loony Lovegood" (though in an affectionate way). The two were very friendly, as Ginny led Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom into her train compartment in 1995, conversing politely with her.[3] Luna became one of Ginny´s best friends through Dumbledore's Army, and Ginny began telling others not to call Luna "Loony", prompting Luna to randomly state during her Quidditch commentary that Ginny was nice and she liked her.[4] Along with Neville, Luna and Ginny led the re-formed Dumbledore's Army while Hogwarts was under Voldemort's control.[5] Ginny was also one of the five portraits — along with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville — that Luna painted and hung from her bedroom ceiling, with the word "friends" joining them together in gold writing.

Ginny and Harry Potter named their daughter after Luna, considering Luna is a "dear friend". Luna may be one of the best female friends of Ginny (along with Hermione), as she was only seen with these girls during her school-time at Hogwarts

Neville Longbottom

Luna and Neville Longbottom, a Gryffindor student, first met on the Hogwarts Express, in 1995. Neville found Luna a bit "odd", as she believed in the existence of strange, mythical creatures, had a tendency to read magazines upside down, and wore earrings that appeared to be made of radishes. Luna, like Harry and Neville, had the ability to see Thestrals, as they had all seen someone die. Neville fought alongside Luna at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of Hogwarts. At some point, they became very close friends. During Luna's sixth year at Hogwarts, she, Neville and Ginny, re-formed and co-led Dumbledore's Army in order to oppose the Carrows.

Luna had also met Garrick Ollivander, the wandmaker, at the Malfoy Manor, where they were both imprisoned. She comforted Ollivander, and gave him courage. After they both escaped, Ollivander, who had grown quite fond of Luna, gave her a new wand.

Luna thought Rubeus Hagrid was a poor teacher, saying that the students in Ravenclaw thought him to be a bit of a joke, and that she preferred Professor Grubbly-Plank. It is possible this opinion changed during the 1997–1998 school year, when they both acted in opposition to the Death Eaters' regime at Hogwarts.

Husband and sons

Etymology

Luna means "Moon" in Latin (as well as in Italian, Russian, Spanish, Bulgarian and Romanian). People believed that the moon caused craziness, which may be why she's the way she is. Her nickname, "Loony," also references the moon and its ties with insanity, as it is short for "lunatic."

Lovegood is a real surname and a compound word (Love and Good).

Luna Lovegood is also alliterative, for effect.

Behind the scenes

The Dirigible plum earrings Luna wears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix were made by Evanna Lynch herself, as was a bracelet she wore (in the shape of Luna's patronus) in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hermione points out that Harry put something in Ron's drink before the Quidditch match, but in the film version, it is Luna who notices, thinking it is a tonic.

It was rumoured that Severus Snape was Luna's father and that Luna and Neville Longbottom were going to end up together at the end of Deathly Hallows. Both these rumours were false. However, in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Neville confesses to Harry and Ginny that he is crazy for Luna. They are later seen sitting beside each other in the infirmary. However, Matthew Lewis has said that this is merely a "summer fling" before Neville marries Hannah Abbott and Luna marries Rolf Scamander.[10].

Evanna Lynch , who plays Luna Lovegood in the film series, named her cats after Harry Potter characters: she has a cat named Luna and another named Dumbledore . She also had a cat named Crookshanks, although it is now deceased.

Author's comments

J. K. Rowling has said that the character of Luna took her by surprise, but that she was very fun to write, and contrasted her with Hermione Granger: "She's slightly out of step in many ways but she's the anti-Hermione. Hermione's so logical and inflexible in so many ways and Luna is likely to believe ten impossible things before breakfast."[15] Rowling has named Luna as one of her favourite characters.[16] Together with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Draco, Luna is part of the "big seven" characters that Rowling considers to be the most major characters in the series.[17] She was also noted to be very pleased with the casting of Evanna Lynch as Luna as she had had lunch with the actress and said she was "perfect."

Luna in the films

Evanna Lynch plays Luna in the films, and since Evanna is Irish, Luna has a slight touch of an Irish accent. In the films, Harry meets her at the school carriages where she is introduced by Hermione instead of Ginny. Luna's Patronus is revealed to be a Hare, this is later confirmed to be canon in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Luna is seen barefoot throughout the film because students had stolen her shoes. In addition, Luna seems to have a taste for pudding and introduces Harry to the Thestrals; she offers a young Thestral an apple, which was turned down, before offering it a bit of raw meat with an accepting smile. She also skipped around the school. Her butterbeer cork necklace has only one cork, which she says is to repel Nargles. She also wears a beetle ring. During the battle at the Ministry, instead of being knocked unconscious, she was hit in the mouth by a Death Eater before using an unusual verbally-incanted version of Levicorpus to hurl her attacker away. When Ginny disintegrates the prophecy shelves with a Reductor Curse, Luna is so distracted by the light that she does not run away, but Neville saves her. She is then taken hostage along with all of Harry's companions but is rescued by the appearance of the Order of the Phoenix members (Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, and Mad Eye).

Lynch was a huge fan of the series before she was cast. After J.K. Rowling had met with the actress, she told the director one thing: "Perfect."

Luna in the games

Luna introducing Harry to the Thestrals

Luna's role in the game is much the same as her role in the film, though we do not meet her until Harry goes to find the people who signed up for the D.A. to tell them about the Room of Requirement. The Player has to help Luna feed the Thestrals, and then she will appear in the Room of Requirement. Later in the game, Fred and George Weasley send Luna to tell Harry how to swamp the clock tower courtyard, with one of their Portable Swamps. At the end of the game, the player must help Luna find her missing objects, which are: a jumper, a newspaper, a lion mask, a pair of pink shoes, and her purse. Luna is also a playable character in the HBP game. She is a 2 player duelling character and is unlocked (with Draco Malfoy) by retrieving 2 crests.